Nein

Abdalla Mokary

23/07/2009

Final Report

During August 2004, a salvage excavation was conducted in the village of Nein (Permit No. A-4229; map ref. NIG 233315–22/72633–46; OIG 183315–22/22633–46), in the wake of construction work. The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by A. Mokary (photography), with the assistance of A. Hajian (surveying), E.J. Stern (pottery reading), H. Tahan (pottery drawing) and laborers from Umm el-Fahm.

The excavation area was located in the built-up section of Nein, c. 100 m east of the spring. Building remains from the Late Bronze Age and the Byzantine, Early Islamic and Mamluk periods (Permit No. A-4653) were exposed c. 50 m south of the excavation area, and four winepresses that dated to the Late Byzantine period (HA-ESI 114:110*–111*) were excavated c. 70 m to the northwest.

One excavation square was opened, revealing three strata that included building remains from the Mamluk period (Fig. 1).

The surface layer (thickness c. 0.5 m) contained ash, gravelly soil and fragments of pottery vessels that ranged in date from the Roman until the Mamluk periods.

Stratum 1. An ash floor was exposed and fragments of glazed bowls (Fig. 2:1, 2) and a cooking bowl (Fig. 2:3) that dated to the Mamluk period were found.

Stratum 2. Sections of poorly preserved walls (W15, W17, W18) were exposed. Wall 17 was severely damaged prior to the excavation. It seems that Walls 17 and 18 formed a corner and that W15 abutted W18. A plastered installation built of fieldstones was adjacent to the eastern face of W15. A tamped earth floor (L13) abutted the walls.

Fragments of a plain unglazed bowl (Fig. 2:4), a bowl decorated with deep incisions (Fig. 2:5), a handmade bowl painted with a geometric pattern (Fig. 2:6), two glazed bowls (Fig. 2:7, 8) and a handmade krater decorated with thumb impressions (Fig. 2:9), which dated to the Mamluk period, were found on the floor. The fill below the floor contained fragments of glazed bowls (Fig. 2:10, 11), a krater (Fig. 2:12) and two cooking bowls (Fig. 2:13, 14), also dating to the Mamluk period.

Stratum 3. A wall (W16), abutted by a tamped and gravely earthen floor (L14), was exposed.

The ceramic artifacts from this stratum, including fragments of two bowls that are glazed a uniform color (Fig. 2:15, 16), a glazed bowl decorated with slipped stripes (Fig. 2:17), a frit-ware-type bowl (Fig. 2:18), a cooking bowl (Fig. 2:19), a cooking pot (Fig. 2:20) and two jugs (Fig. 2:21, 22), were dated to the Mamluk period.

A fragment of a red-slipped bowl, dating to the Late Byzantine period (LRRW; Fig. 2:23) and a body fragment of a jug from the Early Islamic period, were also found.